Throughout 2017, the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) supported relief operations in 36 countries to ensure delivery of urgent aid to millions of people in desperate need.

CERF’s 2017 Annual Report, launched today, provides a detailed account of how, during the year, CERF and its partners ensured strategic use of almost $420 million in donor contributions to deliver the highest priority aid, where and when it was need the most.

A new Results Report takes stock of how a US$439 million humanitarian investment from more than 50 donors delivered life-saving assistance to over 22 million people facing the consequences of natural disasters and conflict around the world.

16 May 2018, London – Conflict and disasters displaced 30.6 million people within their own countries last year, according to a new report from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

As at end December 2017, UN-coordinated appeals and refugee response plans within the Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) required US$24.7 billion to meet the humanitarian needs of 105.1 million crisis-affected people in 38 countries. Together the appeals were funded at $13.8 billion, or 54% of requirements. Funding for the appeals in 2017 fell 46% short of requirements, with $10.9 billion outstanding.

Is the world’s most comprehensive, authoritative and evidence-based assessment of humanitarian needs;

Is based on detailed analysis of wide-ranging data from many different sources, and face-to-face interviews with hundreds of thousands of people directly affected by humanitarian crises across the globe;

As of 31 October, United Nations-coordinated appeals and refugee response plans within the Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) require US$24.1 billion to meet the humanitarian needs of 105.1 million particularly vulnerable people of an estimated 145 million crisis-affected people in 39 countries. The appeals are funded at $11.8 billion, leaving a shortfall of $12.3 billion. This is $1.5 billion less than the gap reported at the end of September 2017.

6 November 2017 (WMO) - It is very likely that 2017 will be one of the three hottest years on record, with many high-impact events including catastrophic hurricanes and floods, debilitating heatwaves and drought. Long-term indicators of climate change such as increasing carbon dioxide concentrations, sea level rise and ocean acidification continue unabated. Arctic sea ice coverage remains below average and previously stable Antarctic sea ice extent was at or near a record low.

Climate-related disasters are a major driver for global hunger. This factsheet provides an overview of how the major 2017 disasters have impacted people's food insecurity and what WFP has been doing to help.

On Monday 16 October 2017 the Council adopted the EU Annual Report on Human Rights And Democracy in the World in 2016.

2016 was a challenging year for human rights and democracy, with a shrinking space for civil society and complex humanitarian and political crises emerging. In this context, the European Union showed leadership and remained strongly committed to promote and protect human rights and democracy across the world.

As of 30 September, United Nations-coordinated appeals (Humanitarian Response Plans, Refugee Response Plans and flash appeals) within the Global Humanitarian Overview require US$24.2 billion to meet the humanitarian needs of 104.1 million crisis-affected people in 39 countries. The appeals are funded at $10.4 billion, leaving a shortfall of $13.8 billion.

CERF enables fast, flexible and needs-based support for people affected by humanitarian emergencies. The UN General Assembly established the fund in 2005 to provide timely assistance in crises. Since its operational launch in 2006, CERF has developed a reputation for its ability to kick-start humanitarian action, scale up the response to emergencies and serve as a lifeline for people struggling to survive in the world’s most underfunded crises.

The 2015-2016 El Niño phenomenon has been one of the strongest on record, affecting deeply the lives and livelihoods of more than 60 million people across 40 countries. It has devastated crops and killed livestock, in some cases dried up water-sources in others caused massive flooding, driven up malnutrition rates, increased disease outbreaks and caused significant migration.

The Lessons Learned Portal Project is a recommendation by participants of the February 2015 Expert Forum in Antalya, Turkey, a gathering of more than 90 participants that focused on “Lessons Learned about Lessons Learned about Hydro-meteorological Disaster Risk Reduction in a Changing Climate.”

This website allows you to explore how different scenarios of global greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to climate change could change the geography of food insecurity in developing and least-developed countries. By altering the levels of future global greenhouse gas emissions and/or the levels of adaptation, you can see how vulnerability to food insecurity changes over time, and compare and contrast these different future scenarios with each other and the present day.

While the 2015-2016 El Niño weather event is now over, humanitarian needs continue to grow, and are not expected to peak until early 2017 as food security continues to deteriorate in many regions. WFP, working closely with partners on the ground, is rapidly scaling up life-saving operations for communities reeling from the catastrophic effects of El Niño.

Drought has left 23 million requiring food assistance in Southern Africa.

An outbreak of fighting in South Sudan has caused new displacements and food price increases in the capital Juba. The South Sudan IPC update for April 2016 estimated that 4.8 million people (40 percent of the population) would face severe food insecurity in the May–July 2016 lean season.